Witham

Witham up-skill in glaucoma

In the build up to World Glaucoma Week (11-18 March) the team at Specsavers in Witham are up-skilling to better support customers with the condition.

Often symptomless in its early stages, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible sight loss. It is thought to affect 700,000 people in the UK today, but as many as 50% of cases are undiagnosed.

Effective training

In conjunction with the International Glaucoma Association (IGA), Specsavers has developed the training for its retail teams to assist sufferers with their treatment. Specifically, they will be advising on how to effectively administer eye drops, which are crucial for managing the condition.

Jennifer Bowen, store director at Specsavers Witham, said: ‘We are very proud to be involved in supporting the International Glaucoma Association and being able to better support our customers with the condition is a really positive development for our store.

Better supporting customers

Optical assistant Harriet St. Leger, who completed the training, said: ‘Our store is such a big part of the community and it is really great to get training to help provide very best service to our customers and support someone with the condition in the most effective way possible.’

The training is being rolled out across Specsavers stores nationwide and complements the skills held by Specsavers’ optometrists, who have collectively completed almost 5,000 postgraduate glaucoma accreditations since 2017, through a variety of accrediting bodies including Cardiff University and the College of Optometrists.